VoIP technologies like Asterisk and FreeSWITCH have been leading the ground by offering dynamic features to build telephony applications and solutions. FreeSWITCH offers an excellent base to build scalable and powerful telephony products, but it does not support web-based communication and for that, a browser extension would be required. Unlike that, WebRTC has been providing reliable technology to develop real time communication solutions that can be used to conduct calls and conferences via web browsers. However, WebRTC Softphone or any other app developed using WebRTC application development will not have telephony features and facilities and for that, WebRTC VoIP integration is needed. By blending the power of WebRTC Softphone and FreeSWITCH, future-proof communication and collaboration apps can be developed that will have features of both SIP telephony and WebRTC.
In this blog post, we will discover how WebRTC and VoIP can be blended to build powerful communication solutions for businesses and enterprises.
So, let’s get deeper into this buzzing topic of connecting the power of FreeSWITCH and WebRTC Softphone together to build a comprehensive, real time communication solution.
Integrating FreeSWITCH and WebRTC Softphone for Next-Level Communication
1. What is WebRTC?
It is a popular, but the youngest member of technologies used for building communication solutions that conduct calls over the internet. WebRTC stands for Web Real Time Communication, and it is launched by Google back in May 2011. Since then, several innovations have been made in this technology to ensure it is easy to use by WebRTC developers as well as by all users of this technology.
This platform is used to build browser-based communication tools for live voice and video calls or conferences. Initially, only a few browsers were used to support WebRTC based solutions like WebRTC client solutions, WebRTC Softphone, web conferencing solutions, and more. WebRTC is supported by almost all browsers, and can manage any conference size. The softphone supports voice, video, conference calls, chat, screen share, file share, reports, and more. A WebRTC development company can build tailored solutions with custom features and functionalities.
2. What is FreeSWITCH?
It is a popular open-source telephony stack that is used to develop telephony solutions. Some of the known SIP telephony platforms are developed using this technology. In simple words, it is one of the SIP technologies that are used to establish a signaling connection between two IP-connected endpoints. This enables SIP telephony among endpoints. The platform has amazing inbuilt features to enrich communication.
As FreeSWITCH used modular architecture and some other regarded components, it is renowned for building scalable, robust, flexible, and secure telephony tools like ASTPP. In fact, it delivers 2x times more performance compared to the platform developed using FreeSWITCH than its counterpart. There are several other driving factors that put it in the leading position as an IP telephony software development technology.
If you are still thinking about what makes FreeSWITCH remarkable, then you must be interested in reading our article that states the top reasons behind the popularity of FreeSWITCH.
3. What is WebRTC Softphone?
In the VoIP industry, you will find two different types of Softphones.
- SIP Softphone and
- WebRTC based Softphone, which is also known as a web phone
The former is a VoIP app or desktop software. On the other hand, a web phone will be a web-based application, which will be opened like any other web URL, but it will provide the features of a Softphone. A SIP Softphone will use SIP signaling for establishing real time communication. On the other hand, a WebRTC based web phone will use browser technology to establish communication. Both softphones use RTP to transmit media after signaling.
4. How Do WebRTC and FreeSWITCH Get Connected?
As mentioned earlier, a WebRTC Softphone cannot establish a signaling connection with the SIP telephony network on its own. That is the limitation of WebRTC, and it needs the blend of power of WebRTC and VoIP. As FreeSWITCH is one of the best and most reliable technologies to develop this kind of application, most businesses find it reliable to use WebRTC Softphone and FreeSWITCH to achieve the combined power of browser technology and IP telephony.
FreeSWITCH connects IP endpoints for SIP telephony in WebRTC softphones. On the other hand, WebRTC is used to add all amazing communication features to the Softphone application.
A WebRTC development company can also add some powerful features of FreeSWITCH into this app, so WebRTC based Softphone will have all the required features in the app.
WebRTC is used for real-time communication and frontend in communication solutions built with these two technologies. FreeSWITCH is used to develop a backend solution or signaling server for IP to IP calling.
5. How Voice Calls Are Established Using FreeSWITCH and WebRTC?
If you are interested in combining the power of FreeSWITCH and WebRTC Softphone, then follow the steps mentioned by a leading VoIP development company that has expertise in both technologies:
- Setup and Installation: The first step is the installation of FreeSWITCH in your Windows or Linux or Mac systems. Once it is installed, you must check the system with sanity testing for smooth execution of the rest of the points. You will also need WebSocket support. If WebSocket support is not enabled, then you can enable it by editing the configuration file: \conf\sip_profiles\internal.xml. This line of code needs to be uncommented to get WebSocket support. Once these steps are completed, restart FreeSWITCH using the command line.
- Coding: In the next step, you will need a browser-based SIP client. You can find such browser-based SIP clients offered by jsSIP or sipML5. It does not need any type of setup or installation; you can use it directly. Use the following code with the right information depending on your system details.
Name: Your Name
SIP URI: sip:1000@xxx
SIP Password: 1234
WS URI: ws://xxx
- As soon as you press the “Enter” key, the dialer screen will be opened for the web phone.
- Execution: Enable the microphone on your web browser and then dial 9195 on the dialer that is just opened.
This is the simplest way to combine the power of WebRTC with FreeSWITCH and use a WebRTC VoIP solution that gives access to SIP telephony and real time communication features. Companies that provide WebRTC application development can build more complex and user-friendly web based Softphone applications so you can enjoy the power of WebRTC and FreeSWITCH.
Custom development services can add features to a ready-to-use WebRTC softphone for anywhere, anytime use without FreeSWITCH.
6. Concluding notes
In conclusion, the roles of VoIP and WebRTC are different in the real time communication world that uses Internet protocol. One is excellent in supporting signaling, so the connection can be established between endpoints. On the other hand, another technology is used to build real time communication apps that are accessed and used via web browsers.
Traditionally, the VoIP industry used to provide only SIP Softphone apps for desktops and mobile phones to provide real time communication facilities. With the growing innovations and inventions in WebRTC technology, businesses are more interested in using WebRTC based web phone applications. FreeSWITCH is used as a signaling engine to build custom communication apps with WebRTC features. Both technologies can synergize to provide a more powerful web-based communication solution with FreeSWITCH components. This will make this app more reliable, scalable, robust, and flexible. Development companies and developers with the required skills can build solutions and apps with branded user interfaces, custom features, etc.
We are a leading VoIP development company that has expertise in different VoIP technologies, platforms, and frameworks. We are skilled in FreeSWITCH and WebRTC, and we have developed several custom applications using these technologies. We consult with other developers to build custom apps using WebRTC and FreeSWITCH. We have dedicated developers in both technologies, and we offer full-time and part-time development services. If you are interested in using the app that combines the power of WebRTC Softphone and FreeSWITCH, we can help you. Connect with us NOW!